1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the combination of an insulated container for containing frozen materials, such as food stuffs and the like, during storage and/or shipment and a recessed CO.sub.2 snow forming assembly for forming CO.sub.2 snow within an upper interior portion of the container which then falls onto the top of the frozen materials within the container. The snow forming assembly is recessed into one or more of the insulated walls of the container to allow mechanical loading and unloading of the container without fear of the load or mechanical loader carrying the load within the container striking and damaging any portion of the CO.sub.2 forming assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Various CO.sub.2 snow and ice makers heretofore have been provided to form CO.sub.2 snow or ice at varying temperatures within containers such as transport containers of railcars, truck trailers and the like for freezing or chilling loads within such containers.
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,640,460, 5,398,552 and 5,505,055 disclose CO.sub.2 snow and ice makers of this type, but the structures disclosed in my prior patents have generally been exposed around the interior of the container. Such structures are therefore subject to contact by loads being moved into or out of the respective containers and/or contact by mechanical loaders carrying such loads within the containers. Such contact may cause damage to the CO.sub.2 snow or ice making structure, often rendering the CO.sub.2 snow and ice makers inoperable.